All things Running
The before, during & after
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Ah yes! Unfortunately it's true... I have acquired what I like to consider the newest fashion accessory...THE BOOT :/ . This clunky, stiff, uncomfortable piece of sh*% is what's [hopefully] going to help me heal over the next few weeks... For those of you who haven't kept up with my life, (although I know every single one of you does.) a few weeks ago I found myself struggling with pain in my foot and actually my foot was going numb occasionally. It seemed to be that after I hit the 4 mile mark on any run my foot would decide to shut down which started to cause some agonizing pain. Now I've experienced something quite similar to this before; actually it happened last year. The difference between last year and this year however was that I was given a cortisone shot (Often referred to as corticosteroids, cortisone drugs belong to a class of medication known as glucocorticoids which are steroids. - thanks Google!). Now, cortisone is generally injected into the body at the affected area, although I did read recently that it too can be taken in pill form to alleviate pain throughout your entire body. Cortisone does a good job in attacking inflammation, providing pain relief, treating arthritis, and a bunch of other lovely things to help your body heal and feel brand new. Sounds great right??? Well... don't get excited TOO quickly.. cortisone also has some nasty side effects. The most common "con" about cortisone is that it can weaken both ligaments and tendons in the body which is no bueno especially if you're an extremely active individual. Unfortunately, cortisone shots can also cause nerve damage, thinning of bones, and thinning of soft tissue. So although I did receive the injection once.. I am very hesitant to do it once again. So after a few consultations with foot specialists, doctors, physical therapists, sport LMT (massage therapists), friends of friends of friends, and family members I decided it was time to take a different route this time around. So let's all give a warm welcome and round of applause to my new friend - the boot! I was given this walking boot last week, it's purpose is to stabilize my foot and ankle, making sure to protect it from further damage, The stiff bottom offers limited flexion in my foot which will then [hopefully] relax all the tension going on under there. 11 days somewhat strong of no running... bizarre right? It's crazy sometimes to think I haven't stepped foot on the road in 11 days. Honestly, 11 days feels like 3 years LOL. Although this time sucks, and not being able to run is emotionally draining, I'm slowly coming to terms with myself. This morning when I got home I did something I haven't done in a while, I meditated. I sat there with my little essential oils diffuser on, set up a little spot in the middle of my room, shut my eyes and just got lost. Sure, it resulted in me being late for work (what else is new), but it reminded me that the mental aspect of this sport is SO IMPORTANT. I've been distant from my "mental self" lately, and I brought myself back into awareness which honestly is what I've needed for quite some time. Some people don't believe in meditation, or they tend to make fun of it and I've never been one for spiritual things, but I do believe in meditation. Meditating this morning brought me back to me, back to the realization that this injury is nothing but a small hurdle to tackle. No, it's not permanent and it surely doesn't define me as a runner. I know how strong of an athlete I am, and if I am strong then I can surely tackle this crap. I'm treating my recovery as a whole new training regimen. It's time to focus, stop dwelling on things that can't change, and work towards getting back on the roads. I am nervous, anxious, excited, and everything in between. I know this is best, I know it will make me a better athlete, and I can't wait to see what the outcome is. Time to embrace my new fashion accessory and get serious. Happy Wednesday everybody, until next time.... Stay Green, Stay happy, Amanda
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The four R's of running... Rest, Run, Recovery, Repeat....I can say I successfully cover one of those words on a day-to-day basis. In my personal opinion and through my experience as a collegiate athlete, I don't think the topic of recovery is stressed well enough. Sure we are made well aware of the accessibility of our athletic trainers and athletic training facilities, and yes every coach has the team stretch post workouts...but is it ever enough? I think not. When your coach / mentor isn't harping at you to stretch or literally watching you do it...are you doing it? Are you taking the time to foam roll prior to and after every run? Are you icing or using Epsom Salt? Are you allowing your body to recover? Probably not, and i'll be honest that I am part of that "probably not" group. Nope, I barely ever take time to recover. I run 7 days a week, lift 3 days within that week, and attend spin class at least once..I don't do the whole "day off" thing. I haven't been a competitive road racer for very long so I just do as I'm told and I make sure not to disappoint my coach. Yes, if I fall or feel something funky going on I notify my coach (Jeff) and we plan accordingly...but quite honestly...a day off sounds terrible. Jeff doesn't give me days off, does that mean he's clueless? Nope. Does it mean he has no idea how to coach? Nope; he knows what works for me. I'm a competitor, I want to be THE BEST and I want to run my fastest; I won't let anything get in the way of that. I've had my series of injuries don't get me wrong, last winter season I was out for just about 9 weeks because of an awful IT band issue, and I've had some foot, hip, overall lower body issues..so what did I do? I went to a PT and a massage therapist . I find that whenever I have an injury or a weird pain my first instinct is to figure it out on my own. My dream is to become a Physical Therapist and I'm currently trying to find ways to attend college once again to pursue this dream (even though it's absolutely terrifying). So of course Amanda thinks she's going to figure out the cure for every injury on her own...well I've given it my best shot at least. In the end I always end up at a doctor because these guys know a hell of a lot more than I ever will. Recently, I've given massage therapy a shot. A teammate of mine recommended Stephen Ryder LMT (licensed massage therapist) CKTP (Certified Kinesio Taping Practitioner) and let me tell you, it's been one of the best experiences I've ever had. Steve works primarily with athletes of any and all levels to improve range of motion, decrease pain, and treat exercise induced injuries. He uses methods such as ART (active release therapy), Graston, and Kinesio tape to ensure every athlete remains healthy and ready to compete to full potential. Steve does single sessions or you can hop on his maintenance plan (guess where I wound up), he works anywhere from 30 minutes up to an hour and luckily he's generally pretty flexible...especially with my wild schedule. Sure, it's painful but it's a good kind of painful and I've had nothing but success since I've started going to Steve. The coolest thing we've done so far introduce the Graston technique to my maintenance plan. Pardon my gross looking feet in this image (to the left), but these are Graston tools! HOORAY FOR PIECES OF METAL THAT CAUSE GREAT PAIN....kidding...sort of. So what's the "Graston technique?" Graston which is the name of the stainless steel tools pictured that are used as a manual therapy to perform muscle mobilizations. It's generally seen as a soft tissue mobilization process by most chiropractors, physical therapists, osteopathic physicians, and the list goes on. So what happens? Basically Steve will use lotion to smooth the area where fibrous or scar tissue (a knot) may appear, and he proceeds to use the Graston tools to break up that scar tissue or restore mobility. This technique of fascial manipulation allows for instant pain relief as well as increased mobility at the same time; something that might not be possible through a static stretch. Here's a little anatomy lesson: your body's fascia is a band or sheet of connective tissue, primarily collagen, beneath the skin that attaches, stabilizes, encloses , and separates muscles and other internal organs; this is what Steve is trying to "break up". Does this stuff hurt? Hell yeah it does, but I leave Steve's office feeling great and ready to run. I believe that Graston is an extremely effective way to break up scar tissue and fascia, and a little more effective than a foam roller. For someone who's not really into recovery, I've found that since I've been having sessions with Steve my body feels so much stronger, and it has made me more conscience of when my body needs to recover. I've started to listen to my body a little more even though I am still running 7 days a week, I've gotten new recovery tools to test out, and I make sure to see Steve at the least once a month (that turns into 3-5 real fast). If you've got a massage therapist near you who's willing to do the Graston technique I HIGHLY recommend giving it a try, otherwise know that recovery is just as important as time spent out on the roads. I'm slowly learning to take better care of my body even when I don't feel like I am in pain. Your body needs to be healthy body inside and out, don't forget that! Until next time.... Stay Green, Amanda The New Year is here! Finally, it's time to say goodbye to 2017. How did 2017 treat you this year? Good? Bad? Maybe a little bit of both? That's what I would say. 2017 was a little bit of a roller coaster for me both on and off the roads. On the roads I had some pretty damn good performances. I can happily say I was able to PR in almost every single distance. 19:49-5K, 40:41-10K, 65:31-15K, 1:34:16-Half, and 5:39 mile. I couldn't be happier about what I've been able to accomplish under a last minute change in coaching, new lifting plan, and different eating habits. I've also grown so much closer to my running community, I became the Vice President / Youth Chair of our local USATF Association, became a part of the Girls on the Run in the capital region, and I became much more involved in my local running club (the Albany Running Exchange). I finished the year with 1,678.11 miles which exceeds my set goal of 1,200 miles coming off of an awful injury so needless to say it was a fantastic running year! Running right into the new year (see what I did there) I've already set new goals, got my race schedule lined up, and I am ready to go! If I had to rank how life outside of running was in 2017 on a scale from 1 to 10 I think I would fall at about a 7. 2017 was full of ups and some serious downs; life at home was a little crappy, I experienced some heart break, my body had begun to break down, but you know what? I came out of it much stronger (in my opinion). In 2017 I left the country for the first time ever and it really opened my eyes to what's really out there and what we aren't seeing enough. I also traveled more within the country, saw so many beautiful areas and met some pretty great people. I also put myself out there in 2017, I was able to nail some pretty great freelance graphic work, as well as, teaching myself new skills. I learned to love, and I learned to appreciate the little things in life. My biggest downfalls taught me to never take life for granted and that there is a positive to every negative. I learned to let go, have fun, and enjoy every second of every moment because they won't last forever. I vowed to chase new things in 2018 starting with a new career and a better lifestyle. Although many things broke me down in 2017 I am determined to enter 2018 with a new attitude and outlook on life. I am a firm believer in that everything happens for a reason and this year has been a year of intense growth for me as an individual. "I believe that everything happens for a reason. People change so that you can learn to let go, things go wrong so that you appreciate them when they're right, you believe lies so you eventually learn to trust no one but yourself, and sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together." - Marilyn Monroe What's to come in 2018? My hope is that 2018 is full of laughter, obviously more miles, and pure happiness. I am ready to chase my goals, get myself back on track, and overall better myself. If I had to chose "New Years Resolutions" I guess I could break it down into three: 1.) Get back on track with eating! I know, New Year's always calls for the bandwagon "fad diets" but I'm looking more to better my health rather than change it. I found that in 2017 I was leaning more towards a vegan lifestyle and I'm looking to better that. My hope for 2018 is that I can fully transition to a vegan diet and get my digestive system and skin back on track! 2.) Travel, travel, travel! Germany and Czech were just the beginning for me, it's time for me to see the world! I'm looking forward to experiencing so many different cultures, seeing beautiful areas, and obviously tasting some good food! 3.) To move and chase my dream career. Sounds crazy, I know. However I know where I need to be and I know that I've still got the determination to get to the west coast (hopefully Oregon) doing graphic design for an athletic company. I am excited for what 2018 has to bring to the table, I'm entering the new year with nothing but a positive attitude and. hopes for nothing but the best. I wish you all the best heading into 2018, and that you're all able to accomplish your goals! Until next time.... Stay Green, Amanda There is nothing more satisfying than being able to cherish and celebrate the one aspect of life you love the most with others. Yep, this past Saturday was my Albany Running Exchange racing team debut at one of the best races in the area: the Freihofer's Run for Women 5k. A little background on the event, Freihofer's itself [founded in 1913] is a baking company that focusses on providing the freshest, purest, ingredients in their baked goods. The company features sliced breads, specialty breads, buns, rolls, croutons, and sweet goods such as donuts and their famous chocolate chip cookies (SO MUCH GLUTEN). This year marked the 39th year that the company has been hosting a women's only 5k in the the Capital City (Albany, NY). The course features an uphill start from the Capital building itself, leading into and around Albany's beautiful Washington Park, and loops back around to finish where it begun; right next to the Capital Building. The run as I stated before is a women's only event, and thousands of women of all ages and abilities come to compete alongside many of the country's greatest long distance runners (including Joan Benoit, Sara Hall, Aliphine Tuliamuk, Katie Matthews, Meghan Peyton, etc.). In addition to the main event, the weekend events also include a Health & Fitness expo held at the Sage College of Albany and a Kids Run series. The 5K used to be an International event, however a few years ago that aspect of the race was altered to encourage more American pros to come to the area and race. Oh and of course at the expo you're handed a full box of Freihofer's famous chocolate chip cookies and a huge loaf of bread...again...so..much...gluten. I'm # 177 in this picture, right next to #6Women in this event have been racing it for YEARS and when I first moved to the Albany area all the females I had met constantly mentioned that I HAD to run Freihofer's, and that it's a race I surely would not regret. Needless to say they were correct -- this might just be one of my favorite races I had ever attended and raced ...besides the pain I endured (we will get to that). I would be lying if I said I wasn't nauseous Friday night and Saturday morning before the race. I don't think I had even been this nervous before my Half Marathon last October and I thought I wasn't even going to cross the finish line during that race. The nerves were going wild, and as always I questioned if I was really prepped for this race. Sure, it's not a race I was expected to win by any means so I wasn't racing for any prize money, but the weekend prior I had just ran 19:55, so Saturday's big stressor was: "Am I really a sub 20 5K runner? Can I stay consistent?". As a competitive athlete, I am always doubting myself however Saturday I found the slightest bit of confidence in my head. I was ready to go sub 20 once again and shoot for a new PR. The goal was to go out in 6:20-6:25, maintain through mile 2 and then explode as I exit the park finishing the last mile with everything that I possibly had left. Well that plan SORT OF played out... not surprised I actually went through the first mile in 6:15 and quickly died from there. The course is rolling inclines and it's quite difficult once you get going. After hitting mile 2 I could not WAIT to be done to be honest. At the 2 mile mark I checked out my Garmin and my pace had dropped to about 6:34 and I immediately started to panic. Extremely fatigued and in pain, and slightly nauseous, I thought I was done. I kept repeating the phrase in my head: " find your groove", something my old coach would remind me of the morning of a race. Well I never really found that groove but I managed to find a kick instead. I passed a sign that had said "800 meters to go" and I gave it everything I had left. I watched as the clock time increased... 19:30...19:35...19:40...19:41... I had to finish before 19:55, I just had to. I saw 19:44 pop up and I just flew, even if I fell I was going to PR, I had to. I crossed the line 61st overall out of 2,768 females, 10th in my age group, 6th overall for the team, and with a time of 19:49 - a new PR! I was overwhelmed in excitement and I couldn't wait to meet up with my teammates and my mother who had driven down to come watch. It was overall a great day! Our A team had placed 3rd overall, the C team (my team) placed 5th and our B team placed 6th overall, and we surely lucked out with weather. (Me and Sara Hall to the left). The first place finisher was California's own Sara Hall (total babe by the way). For those of you who don't know Sara is the wife of Olympic marathoner and American half marathon record holder Ryan Hall; the first US runner to beat the 1 hour barrier in the half marathon. Sara herself has had countless successes in track events including the 1500 indoors and the 3000m steeplechase outdoors. She is also a two-time world team member for the US at the world indoor track and field championships. She crossed the finish line in 15:49. Oh AND I got to meet her which completely made my day, she's such an inspiring woman and gave a fantastic speech about running can empower females and how strong we are as female athletes. I have nothing to complain about what-so-ever, I am still in shock that I am running sub 20 5K's!! Looking forward to this week with having the OK5K on Saturday in Kinderhook, I am excited to see what my body brings to the table. The course is a fast rectangle so i'm looking to hopefully PR once again for the summer. It's exciting to see what is in store for me next, I am FINALLY beginning to feel like a pretty competitive runner and I feel so blessed to be running and representing a team of such beautiful, strong, competitive women (shout out to my ARE racing ladies). Well, until next time... Stay Green, Amanda You never understand what true runner's high is until you experience not only a goal PR, but a first place finish as well. My week/weekend was filled with so many emotions but ended on such a high note! (See what I sort of... did.... there...?). There's something to be said for being patient and training to a T -- it definitely pays off! God, I honestly get excited every time I tell someone about this weekend's experience, because the week prior was such a disaster and I have no idea how I possibly pulled off a performance like that. First let me give you a "brief" rundown on how the week was looking prior to my race on the weekend.... Earlier last week was relatively a rough patch for me, had an awful workout Saturday morning, exhausted/painful calves going into Wednesday, the 2017 CDPHP Workforce team challenge (3.5 mile race) coming up on Thursday where I was competing for team Fleet Feet Albany | Malta, and well... I was slightly intoxicated on Friday (no bueno) so Saturday before my race on Sunday I was completely hungover... (oops). It was quite the eventful week to say the least... but let's start with Saturday prior to this weird week. Saturday (May 14th) my expected workout was 7 miles with 3 miles @ 6:30 pace... and let me start by stating that barely any of that happened...at all. I ran in my new neighborhood where literally everywhere you turn there is a hill -- with almost no signs of flat land what-so-ever. It was expected that I would do the 7 miles on a flat out and back. What actually ended up happening was that I found myself running through an awful 2 miles of hills and almost 3 miles on a track at about 6:55 pace with 1 mile "cool down" if it can even be considered that. Mentally, I was a disaster. Nerves were kicking in for the week because it was a multi week for me (2 races in one week) and I just felt like sub 20 minutes in a 5k wasn't even an obtainable at this point. Monday through Wednesday were rough.. i've had a lot of stress on my calves recently and well the pain was just about at it's breaking point Wednesday morning (I would assume part of this stems from my nerves). Oh and along with all of this... the weather channel was calling for 96 degree weather on Thursday... HA! Well Thursday approached and let me just tell you I was sweating bullets sitting outside my office.. I knew this was going to be brutal. Albany is the host of the CDPHP Workforce Team Challenge -- a 3.5 mile race through the city (mainly Washington Park which sucks, and back to the State Museum). Businesses are allowed to put together teams to race as a corporation against other companies and as stated before I was running for Team Fleet Feet Albany | Malta. The local news reported had notes that the temperature had reached 98 degrees at the starting line with about 70% humidity. Saying that I felt like I was in an oven is an understatement. This heat was BRUTAL and the sun was not helping at all. Along with the unbearable heat, the course overall kinda of sucks, it mostly consists of rolling inclines through the park and the last half mile is a fast, painful decline back to the museum. The top finishers had even stressed their difficulties adapting to the weather and the course post-race. I ended up crossing the finish line in 24:01 which is about 6:50 pace (once I went through mile 1 I had decided to tempo instead of race). I was pretty surprised with my performance, however my main focus was the upcoming Sunday. Sunday I worked and raced the SPAC Rock and Run 5k in Saratoga. The race features a 5k, 10k, and Half marathon with the 10k being the "main event". I don't think i've ever been more confident about a race like I was on Sunday. I felt great, my warm up with my training partner Sam (girl on the right in the photo above) was a hell of a lot better than expected considering I had to be up at 4 AM to be in Saratoga at 5:30 AM. There was one hill shortly after the 2nd mile marker, but we went up it on the warm up and I felt ready to go. The temperature couldn't have been more perfect I believe it was in the low 60's, with mostly an overcast sky, and there was a comfortable faint breeze. My plan was to tackle the first 2 miles @ 6:30 and then if I felt good after mile 2 to just give it everything I had. Sam and I stuck together through the first mile, and I was feeling so comfortable it was insane. I slightly pulled away and went after the lead pack of guys ahead -- I could tell I was the first female and I was PUMPED. As I approached mile 2 a woman came up on my right, her name was Liz she used to run for the Albany Running Exchange and she was quick. She pushed me to drop to about a 6:20 pace and as we approached the hill I was slightly nervous. One thing I will forever be thankful for is my body's ability to tackle hill. I don't have the build of a marathon runner. I have strong legs (mostly because of my collegiate javelin career) that are extremely powerful and allow me to make my way up steep inclines without much of a struggle. My legs surely helped me on this hill, I was able to push myself to about a 6:18 pace and power up that hill like there was no tomorrow where I would then turn right onto the 2nd to last straightaway of the course. I am a firm believer in that an adrenaline rush in a race stems from the energy of the crowd that appears on race day. As I was coming down that 2nd to last straightaway I happened to glance up and see two of my favorite guys at the end pushing me to kick it into high gear. Jacob and Eric are elites in our area, true speed demons. I've learned a lot from these two when it comes to running since i've met them both this year. As I heard their excitement over the potential time I was going to finish in I knew it was my time to shine. I gave it my all that last half mile of the course and broke the tape across the finish line in a time of 19:55, 1st female, and 4th finisher overall. I DID IT! I FINALLY BROKE TWENTY IN THE 5K! Like whaaaat?! It may sound kinda slow to those of you who are all sub 18 and under in the 5K but to me this is a HUGE DEAL. I've proven to myself that there is still another barrier to be broken in the 5K and now i'm ready to work my way down to sub 19! I can't wait to see what the running world has in store for me next...Until next time... Stay Green, Amanda Hi all! It has been SO long since I posted here on the blog so I thought what better time to post than when i'm at work? (Let's hope my boss isn't reading this...). A lot has gone on lately, just a teenie update on my life (because I know you all desperately want to know), I ran my first 16 miler last Sunday (to replaced a canceled 5k), since last October, I moved into a lovely new home, and last night I took my first ever self defense class! (Which is one of the topics i'm going to speak about today). First of all I am happy to say after a full day of moving into my new home yesterday I was able to knock out 6 miles today with my boss actually which I find is very rare in many offices...My boss actually is an ultra runner who doesn't particularly race but does worry about distance. He's a fan of 50-milers (I cringe just thinking about that), and LOVES to run through the mountains (he lives on the border of Vermont so it's easy access to him). We went down to the local bike path along the river and just casually went out 3 miles then came back 3 which ended up being all uphill (yikes), and finished in front of our office. It's not common for our office to be "runner friendly" you kind of have to work your way towards earning lunch runs as wild as that may sound I really only get them because well.. my boss runs too so we are on the same page here. The worst part about our office is that we don't have showers available to us (I know it's so gross), so I have to improvise with sweat wipes that actually work pretty well (I use Hyper Go After Sport wipes). When I run or even walk during my lunch I find that I am far more attentive and creative at work (i'm a graphic designer that's why I say creative), personally I feel it should be a requirement for employees at any job to get at least 20 minutes of exercise per day. Exercise stimulates brain function, wakes you up, keeps you focussed, enhances ones' mood, and overall can enhance work performance. Now that we are approaching the warmer months take advantage! Get outside during your lunch and then eat at your desk, you'll feel 20x better and work 20x harder! Self Defense 101 So one of the highlights of my week (besides my 16 miler) actually occurred last night. For those of you that don't know, I run for the Albany Running Exchange (ARE) running club here in Albany one of the greatest things about this club besides the running portion is that they always host interesting events. Last night was the best, and I think most informative event yet: Self Defense for Runners. I think self defense is good for anyone of any age because let's be real here you NEVR EVER know what can happen to you at any time even when you feel you are in your "safe zone" ex: your house, your work, school. That was one of the key points instructor Jonathan Parsons US Marine and expert self defense instructor spoke to us about. Now keep in mind, self defense isn't about starting a fight with someone or "beating the shit" out of anyone, it's for your own safety you aren't trying to really harm anyone you're just trying to get out of the situation. During this 2 hour class we learned about an attacker's soft spots, how to handle ourselves mentally (KEY), and how to get away in the best way possible. I learned more in that 2 hours that I ever thought I would, most of the takeaways I can't physically demonstrate via text but one of the most important things Jonathan mentioned to us was that every part of your body are tools. Sounds weird but think about it, every body part can be used in a different type of way to defend yourself without the need of a weapon. He also mentioned to always keep in mind that an attackers' arms will always be preoccupied doing something and that's your opportunity to utilize your body to attack back whether it be with your legs, feet, or maybe even your head! (Yes we practiced head-butting). The class was great! We were given the opportunity to test out our new knowns skills and went through some test runs where attackers really tackled us to the ground or picked us up as we were running and we had to respond in the most effective way possible, and utilize our tools. Granted this room was filled with females and I would highly recommend other females to take a self defense class, but I was a little curious as to why no males showed up to the class. Everyone should consider taking a self defense class because honestly like I said you NEVER know what can happen to you and it happens so fast you need to know how to react immediately. So think about it! Also talk to your local running clubs about having an instructor come in, yeah the class costed me $40 but it was the best 40 bucks I have spent so far. So check it out!! Until next time... Stay Green, Amanda Happy Early Easter everyone! So as many of you already know, I will be running the 2017 Mohawk Hudson Half Marathon here in Albany. Last year I ran for a charity and I wanted to do the same thing once again because there's nothing better than giving back to an organization. I knew that just asking folks for money isn't the way to go in this day and age...it can be an anxiety attack just building up the confidence to ask someone for cash..so I got creative. I took weeks contacting some of the TOP running companies and let me list them all because they all deserve recognition. I received products from Brooks Running, Adidas, Triggerpoint, Nuun, Skratch Labs, RunGum, ON running, Stridebox, Huma Gel, Hammer Nutrition, Momentum Jewelry, Peanut Butter & Co, Nuts 'N More, Amphipod Running, Swiftwick Socks, Oiselle, as well as Roll Recovery. and asked them if they'd donate items to me so I could raffle them off on Instagram and hopefully get some money for GOTR. Well let me just say that I couldn't feel more blessed that I got all of these companies to participate. I was literally in tears every time a company listed all of the products they'd provide me because I honestly didn't even think i'd get one response from ANY of them. These companies care about their customers and definitely care about giving back to charities and organizations and that meant a lot to me. Heck ON running even decided to provide a pair of shoes for each winner... like WHAT?! Is this real life?! Speechless, these companies have left me speechless and I couldn't feel more grateful and after telling the girls over at GOTR what my plan was I surely got them excited too. So how does this work? How can one potentially win one of these baskets or even the Brooks Running singlet signed by the ENTIRE Brooks Beasts team (including 2x Olympian Nick Symmonds!). Well it's rather easy and it doesn't cost much... The end goal of all of this is to raise money for GOTR so yes... money is involved but please keep in mind that ALL proceeds go directly to the programs for the Girls and it will be put towards funding meals for every single one of them in this year's program. There's a few ways to earn entries into this raffle... (Keep in mind that you MUST be on Instagram (you'll need your instagram handle) 1st thing to note is that the contest will begin on Monday, April 10th, and end on Friday, April 14th at 10:00 PM. All you will need to do to go to my Instagram page (obviously) and check out the photos I post every day about the contest. Then you'll have to head to my donation page (the link is in my bio) --> http://giving.girlsontherun.org/girls-on-the-run-capital-region-of-ny/Amanda-s-13-1-Journey-with-GOTR?source=gotrgiving To earn 1 entry you simply have to donate $10, and every $10 after that get's you a 2nd entry into the contest. Another way to earn a 2nd entry is that after you donate your first $10 you can repost one of my images (make sure you tag me in it!) and you'll be entered twice to win a grand prize! 2 Side notes :
Pretty cool right? Also it's SUPER easy to enter, two random names will be picked on Friday along with the top donator... in the instance that everyone happens to donate the same amount the winner of the singlet will be picked randomly. I really hope a lot of you get into this -- these baskets are filled with tons of runner goodies and you'll also receive a free pair of kicks what's better than that?? I wish you all the best of luck! Any questions please email me at [email protected] or shoot me an Instagram DM! Stay Green, Amanda Finally we have some spring-time weather in the Capital Region! It's so refreshing to have the ability to run outside in shorts and not freeze to death.... This weekend not only brought us some great weather, but intense mileage as well. It's been a rough last couple weeks for me.. it's "budget season" here in the capital and that means late nights...stress... a roller coaster of emotion.. and poor running. It was hard to say when and if I could run and there was no question that sleep wasn't on the schedule until the budget would be officially passed. Luckily all members in the assembly came together and on Friday night leading into Saturday morning the decided it was time to pass the budget. On top of late nights for the budget... I had also forgotten I scheduled myself to work at Fleet Feet the entire weekend....adios sleep! It was a rough weekend to say the least.. However all these negatives resulted in a positive this weekend; a much needed and deserved long run. No, not my basic long run of 8 miles, long run as in 13 miles plus! I am and always will be thankful for the Albany Running Exchange (ARE) local running club. I have met some of the best individuals I will ever meet in my lifetime, and I know I can always count on the club for having some folks up for Sunday long runs. Sunday morning I was joined by two close friends in the club, Samantha and John. We met at the Corning Preserve in Downtown Albany, a 15-acre landscaped waterfront, park, entertainment venue and natural habitat area, supporting native species of animals and plants along the Hudson River. The preserve offers a multi-use paved path that quite frankly can take you all over the Capital Region. Our journey took us on part of the path, across a bridge into Troy, over the Green Island Bridge into Watervliet, and back to Corning totaling 13.65 miles and by FAR my longest run since my half marathon training last year. The run was great! Started off in low 30 degree weather and finished well above the 40's leading into the 50's ... I think the high for Sunday was about 70.. so yeah it was BEAUTIFUL. Our average pace was about 8:24/mile which is ideal for me on a long run. My boyfriend recently introduced me to the book "Daniel's Running Formula" written by Jack Daniels PHD (no, not the Tennessee Whiskey). Inside this book Daniels describes his method of training by his VDOT formula to exceed expectations and train at the right intensity for maximum performance. Daniels offers charts based off of distances and times that inform you on at what intensity certain runs and workouts should be done at to reach your "goal time" or a new PR. The row I fell under in his VDOT chart stated that my long runs should be run approximately at a 8:30 pace... so I was close enough this weekend. Overall -- the run went great! The weather (as i've said 5 thousand times) was amazing, our path was clear and flat; we went on a full adventure! John is a man of history, and was giving us the full rundown of the transformation that the city of Albany has gone through within the past 20 years or so. Basically he kept the run interesting as well as informative which I throughly enjoyed. Another great thing about John is that he always prepares ahead of time, he had water stations set up for us along the way to keep us fueled and moving. I never really have any hydration during long runs so it was relatively new for me...even during races I NEVER stop for water.. can't sacrifice that PR ya' know? My run was followed by a 4 hour shift at Fleet and another nice night with the boyfriend consisting of an hour of tossing the frisbee around and ice cream..of course, I then proceeded to prep for my Girls On the Run Contest/Raffle. For those of you unaware, from Monday April 10th until Friday April 14th I am hosting a HUGE contest/raffle on instagram! Let me give you the rundown... Last year was my first year running the Mohawk Hudson Hannaford Half Marathon held in Albany, NY. It was my first ever half marathon and I was happy to say I ran it for a cause. Last year I took the opportunity to run with a charity bib, which means I run for a local charity and raise a certain amount of money that goes back to the charity and I was then entered into the half marathon. Last year I ran for a charity called the United Tenants of Albany (UTA), a non-profit organization that worked to provide housing to the less fortunate in the city of Albany. I was able to raise $450 for the charity and aid in proving homes for folks living in the city that were struggling to find shelter. It was a huge success, and I was able to meet some great people during the process of fundraising and at the half marathon expo. This year however, I am running for a charity close to my heart; Girls on The Run (GOTR). GOTR is a non-profit organization devoted to helping girls activate their limitless potential, push them to pursue their dreams, develop confidence, and become leaders. This organization uses running to inspire, motivate, and encourage lifelong health and fitness through accomplishment. The result --making the seemingly impossible, possible and teaching girls that they can. The girls are split into two groups: a 3rd - 5th grade program, and a 6th - 8th grade program. The girls meet during an after-school program and participants explore and discuss their own beliefs around experiences and challenges girls face at this age. They also develop important strategies and skills to help them navigate life experiences. GOTR starts with helping the girls get a better understanding of who they are and what’s important to them. Then, they look at the importance of team work and healthy relationships. And, finally, the girls explore how they can positively connect with and shape the world. Physical activity is woven into the GOTR program to inspire an appreciation of fitness and to build habits that lead to a lifetime of health. At the end of each three month session, the girls participate in a Girls on the Run 5k event. This celebratory, non-competitive event is the culminating experience of the curriculum. Completing the 5k gives the girls a tangible understanding of the confidence that comes through accomplishment as well as a framework for setting and achieving life goals. Crossing the finish line is a defining moment when the girls realize that even the seemingly impossible IS possible. The girls in the middle school program (6th-8th grade) have a similar curriculum, but follow the new "Heart and Sole" program. Heart & Sole creates a positive, structured space for middle school girls to learn about themselves, explore new ideas, cultivate empathy, strengthen connections and develop life skills that will help them as they move through adolescence and beyond. The Heart & Sole curriculum is rich with themes girls can relate to, addressing the whole girl—body, brain, heart, spirit and social connection—and building important life skills such as team building, developing a support system, boundary setting, decision making, asking for and providing help and more. I am a big advocate for GOTR because I believe in their practices and their story. If I had known about the organization when I was younger I definitely would have hopped on that train immediately. Being someone who struggled for years with bullying, and eating disorder, and self hate I 100% support programs such as GOTR that can teach girls about their worth and self beauty. It's hard growing up in our society as a female, everyday we are put on the lower stack of the totem pole, are bullied for our gender, and looked down on for our physical appearance. Running is the one thing in my life that stopped me from potentially committing suicide back in high school. Without it I wouldn't be here today and I wouldn't nearly be as strong as I am now. A program that can teach females the physical and mental benefit from physical exercise is one I can't help but to support.
This year I am looking to raise $650 for Girls On the Run, mind you I HATE asking for money so if you cannot donate or choose not to please if anything just spread the word. If you'd like to donate to this beautiful organization please click the link below, note that all proceeds will go directly to GOTR and help supply meals for the girls throughout their entire season. Thank you all so much for your support -- I am so excited for this journey with GOTR and I cannot wait to help them grow their programs all over the world. Link to donate: http://giving.girlsontherun.org/girls-on-the-run-capital-region-of-ny/Amanda-s-13-1-Journey-with-GOTR?source=gotrgiving Until next time... Stay Green & Strong, Amanda i I'm always pretty tight with my money, and i'm bad when it comes to monthly money commitments (my relationship with my student loan debt is the worst). I always see advertisements all over social media and the television about different variety box-things such as graze box, ipsy, birchbox, Julep, the list goes on. I've never really been interested in any type of subscription because with my luck I would forget and then i'm freaking out because i've suddenly overdrawn my bank account (yes, i've had experience with this...). However, approximately 4 months ago a friend started to inform me about an item called a "StrideBox", instantly I was turned off because I KNEW what I would be getting myself into. She spoke so highly about the box and explained all the interesting running products she had been receiving. Now, I work at Fleet Feet Sports on the weekends selling all types of running equipment, I am exposed to this stuff constantly and it's right at my fingertips so I thought: why would I pay monthly for a box of the items I could EASILY pick up after a shift? She continued to speak about the product and I pushed it away and said I would consider it in the future. Well recently a friend of mine Annamarie who runs the instagram account: @fitfoodiemama had posted about the boxes and was actually doing a giveaway for a chance to win box. I did my research and read up on her blog post on the company and figured I had nothing to lose if I entered the contest. So here I was, contemplating typing a paragraph to Annamarie explaining what product I would love if I received the box and why. After reviewing the products in the box prior to typing my life story in paragraph form I had noticed that all the nutritional products in the box were gluten free (yes!). This was all extremely exciting for me because I live with a gluten allergy so anytime a company develops a gluten free version of her product my face lights up. Seeing that all of the products in the box were gluten free I did end up typing my paragraph and a few days later I was awarded with a direct message from Annamarie saying I had won the box! Winner winner chicken dinner (or veggie dinner in my world). It didn't take much longer after that for me to receive my box and I surprised myself with how please I was with the box. I won't lie I was skeptical at first but after opening it and exploring the products I realized it's a pretty good deal for $15. Oh yeah I forgot to mention that... it's only FIFTEEN BUCKS A MONTH! Some of these box things you find online will be roughly $25 + so for $15 you really can't go wrong. I ventured through my box and of course used the good old internet to look up the prices of every item I received to see if the $15 is really worth it. Here's a list of the items I received with the estimated price of each individual item NOTE that I could be off on some prices : 1.) Buff Bake GF protein cookie ($2.40) 2.) Honey Stinger GF waffle ($1.50) 3.) Surface SPF Lip Protection ($2.20) 4.) Hyper Go After Sport wipes ($3.00) 5.) Spring Energy PB gel ($2.30) 6.) Stridebox star massage tool ($3.00?) 7.) Stridebox valentines stickers ($Cuteness) 8.) Stride make it do it recipe card ($0) It really isn't an awful deal if you ask me, they're all great products and each month you get something even better than before! It's great if you want to test out products rather than go buy a full box of a product and end up hating it. So if you're a running enthusiast looking to test out some cool new stuff definitely check it out! Note also that you can totally cancel at anytime and they do not give you a hard time about it which is nice (finally someone with good customer service).
I'm looking forward to testing out all of my products now that I am back in the groove of running...not going to lie I have already started using the massage tool and I love it. Interested? Give it a shot! What do you possibly have to lose? Okay i guess $15 if you're REALLY disappointed in everything you get...however I suggest that you give stridebox a try! Another good idea is to look at their Instagram page: @stridebox and see what everyone else is receiving to see if it's anything you're into. I love it personally and i'll continue on with Stridebox a little longer until I end up bankrupt.... Until next time.... Stay Green, Amanda |
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February 2018
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